A Confusing Spiral of Emotions
by Chatterbox Angel
Summary: Ayumu rejects Hiyono's love.  Eyes turns down Rio.  Kiyotaka comes back.  Eyes's producer made a mistake of that takes Ayumu and Eyes on a trip around the world.  They just happen to have confusing feelings for eachother. EyesAyumu other pairings inside
1. Chapter 1

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Spiral or any of its characters.

Pairings:

Definite- EyesAyumu, KiyotakaMadoka

Probable- KousukeRyoko

Possible- HiyonoRio

A/N: Please give me your opinions for the non-definite ones after reading the first chapter. Enjoy the fic.

"Ayumu-san," Hiyono said hesitantly. It was lunchtime, and she was alone with Ayumu Narumi on the rooftop for the first time in a quite a long while. For the past two and a half months, the Blade Children had been eating with them almost everyday since Kanone had left and Eyes came back.

"Yes," he asked lazily opening one of his eyes slightly annoyed at his almost nap being interrupted. After all, he hadn't been able to get very many lately with all the crazy, hyper Blade Children around. However, after spending as much time with the perky girl as he had, Ayumu knew she would only get more annoying if he responded later rather than sooner.

"Ayumu-san, I love you," she rushed out with a bright red blush staining her cheeks. Ayumu was floored, both his eyes opened wide in shock. He slowly sat up and stared at Hiyono. "Now would be a good time to say something, Ayumu-san."

"I'm sorry, Hiyono," Ayumu replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I only like you as a friend." After hearing this, large wet tears rolled down Hiyono's cheeks as she ran away. Rio, Kousuke, and Ryoko came through the door to the roof, just seconds after Hiyono had left, with slightly worried looks on their faces. After all, the three Blade Children had become closer to Hiyono and Ayumu since Kanone had left. However, the two non-"cursed" teenagers had had next to no contact with Eyes Rutherford. This was a fact that bothered Ayumu much more than he would care to admit. He also had no idea why it bothered him, making the bothersome feeling downright irritating.

"Why was Hiyoko-chan crying?" Kousuke asked the chocolate-haired boy who was still looking slightly shocked.

"Because she told me she loves me," Ayumu replied slowly not sure if he really wanted to tell them. "And I turned her down." All three of them sighed in unison making him wonder if they had expected something of the ort. "So it finally happened, huh?" Rio said quietly. Then, she turned around and dashed away with an expression of sympathy and understanding on her face.

"What's with her?" Ayumu asked staring at the door again. He really didn't want to go running after a multitude of girls during his lunchtime, but if this kept up, it looked as though he might have to.

"Rio just went to comfort of Hiyono," Ryoko replied. "A few weeks ago, she finally confessed her love for eyes (not that it wasn't already obvious). Anyway, he turned her down too. So, she's the best one to be with Hiyono now. It also doesn't hurt that they're practically best friends now. Y'know, sharing your stolen lunches and all." The younger teen just nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, why'd you turn her down Little Narumi?" the spiky redhead spoke up again. "I thought you and Hiyoko-chan were dating."

"We never were dating," Ayumu responded annoyed at the assumption. "And I don't know why I turned her down. I just don't like **her** like that okay?" He had unconsciously stressed the "her", and the one who noticed it was the only other person on the roof with brown hair.

"So, who do you like?" Ryoko asked him. Ayumu just shrugged making it very clear that he honestly thought he didn't really have romantic feelings for anyone. Then, the bell rang, and the three of them went back to the classroom.

In a Girls Bathroom on the 2nd Floor

"Hiyono-nee-san," Rio called out only peeking her head through the door. Since this was the 30th bathroom she had checked, she didn't want to spend too much time looking in one particular place during her search for Hiyono. "Are you in here?"

"No," came a miserable voice from the largest stall that was farthest from the door. Rio sighed, shaking her head and stepped fully into the bathroom. She found Hiyono curled up in a sitting position against the wall. Rio knelt down next to her older friend and hugged her.

"Hiyono-nee-san," Rio started slowly, tears stinging her eyes with the recent memory of her own rejection. "I know it hurts. I really do. Eyes-kun doesn't love me the way I love him. So, cry as much as you need to before you start moving forward."

"Thank you," Hiyono said through her tears without looking up. She wrapped her arms around Rio's waist returning the hug as she buried her head in the silver-haired girl's shoulder. Soon, a very small stream of tears were also flowing from sad cat-like eyes.

Eyes's Hotel Room

"What are you doing here after so long?" Eyes asked from his seat next to the piano. He was glaring at the person who was standing about ten feet away from him. "And what are you doing here? Does your wife know you're back yet?"

"No, she doesn't," the person answered. "I'm actually quite afraid of her reaction to seeing me, so I don't want to go home yet. As for why I'm back, Kanone finally let me go."

"Why did you let Kanone capture you in the first place Kiyotaka?" Eyes asked frustratingly confused.

"A few reasons actually," Kiyotaka replied smiling. "First none of you would believe in Ayumu with me around. Also, Kanone didn't believe that my little brother could beat him. So, I made a bet with him with my freedom at stake. Anyway, he was in denial when he came back, and it took longer than it should have for me to be free again."

"Fair enough," Eyes replied. "So, do you still play the piano?"

"I can no longer play as well as I used to," he said holding up his left hand that had a horribly deformed index finger. With a much lower voice, "In his last act of defiance, Kanone took it away from me forever."

"So much for the duet world tour my producer had planned," Eyes said sighing. "I really hate listening to her whine and complain."

"A duet world tour, eh?" Kiyotaka repeated. "Sounds exciting."

"Sure, Narumi," Eyes replied sarcastically as he started to play the piano again.

"I have one more question," Kiyotaka said. "When I mentioned my little brother, a flicker of emotion appeared in your eyes. What was it?"

"I don't know," Eyes confessed. "I have not seen him in the ten weeks since Kanone left, because whenever I think about him, my feelings become conflicted."

"Oh," was the only response Eyes received before Kiyotaka left.

Earlier Outside the Room

Eyes's producer, Hinami was currently ecstatic. She had just listened to what she believed to be the most wonderful conversation in the world. Now, she was rushing off to tell the president of Eyes's agency, Miracle Talent Agency (MTA).

This is what she had heard through the door:

Eyes: So do you still play the piano?

Narumi: I can play as well as I used to.

Eyes: So for the duet world tour my producer planned.

Narumi: A duet world tour, eh? Sounds exciting.

Eyes: Sure, Narumi.

After hearing this, Hinami was positive that Eyes and this Narumi person had just agreed to do the duet world tours she'd been wanting for months. She couldn't wait to start the preparations.


	2. Chapter 2

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 2

A/N: Hello and welcome to Chapter 2 of my fan fiction. I hope you enjoyed the first one enough to actually be reading this. Also, this fanfic is based on the anime due to the fact that I've seen all of it, and I've only read the first ten manga volumes. Also, the anime and manga are completely different, so I'm using what I have more knowledge of. Anyway, on with the Yaoi/Het fanfic!

3 Hours Later Narumi Apartment

"Ayumu-kun," came the whiny voice of one police inspector. "I'm hungry. Isn't dinner ready yet?"

"Be patient," he replied annoyed. "It takes a long time to cook lasagna, Madoka-nee-san. You have to be prepared to wait when you come home early." A few minutes later, Ayumu checked the oven again, and this time, the food really was done. So, he cut out two portions and put them on plates. Fearing Madoka's impatience, he served her first and put his own plate down on the other side of the table and went to grab a bottle of juice. Then quite suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Confused, Ayumu went to answer. Most people were eating dinner right now. He took a drink and opened the door at the same time, which turned out to be a mistake. Because, as soon as he saw who was out in the hall, he spit all the juice from his mouth at the person who was in the hallway. If there was one person he had not expected to see at the door, it was who was there.

"Ayumu-kun," Madoka called from the table. "Who's at the door?"

"Sorry, I lost my key," came the all too much missed voice of a certain someone. "And, Ayumu, could you please try and refrain from spitting juice in my face in the future?"

"Um, sure," Ayumu said slowly. His mind was still trying to process that it was his brother standing in the doorway. Kiyotaka Narumi, after almost two and a half years, had come home. "Madoka come here. I'm going to get another serving of food." Madoka, confused, got up and walked to the door as Ayumu got a plate of food for his brother. Once Madoka saw Kiyotaka, tears welled up in her eyes and, despite face full of juice, she jumped into her husband's arms and kissed him.

Dinner was spent quietly because Ayumu and Madoka were silent with shock. Kiyotaka was just shoveling food into his mouth. After dinner, Ayumu washed the dishes and listened as his brother told them everything that had happened while he was gone and why he didn't want them involved. He hadn't wanted to involve Ayumu until he had planned far enough in advance. And he didn't want Madoka involved at all, because he didn't want to put her in harm's way at all. They were lame reasons, but Kiyotaka, like most people, was essentially a selfish person.

The Next Day Eyes's Room

Eyes woke up yawning, and without bothering to put any clothes on (he slept in his boxers), shuffled out to his "kitchen". As he ordered room service, he turned on the tv for something to do until breakfast came. But what he heard put breakfast at the back of his mind.

_Eyes Rutherford's next world tour holds one very big surprise. He is going to bring along another pianist for international duet performances. This other pianist is named Narumi-san. The first name has not yet been revealed to keep the general public in suspense. The two most likely possibilities have been narrowed down to the brothers, Kiyotaka and Ayumu Narumi. Kiyotaka-san was a piano genius who was world-renowned by the young age of ten. Ayumu-san, also a genius in his own right, was know to have angelic fingers in the piano world before he stopped competing in youth competitions. So now the question is, has Ayumu-san surpassed his brother's skill or is Kiyotaka-san still the best? All we know is that the world tour will start in Tokyo in two months on November 23rd_

Cursing, Eyes angrily turned off the tv and hurriedly got dressed. As he stalked out of his room, a young female worker came with his morning meal. He hissed at her that he no longer wanted it as he slammed a random bill atop the tray and continued onward.

Outside, he ignored all the annoying reporters and went straight to his limo where his driver was already waiting. Lucky for the limo driver too, otherwise he probably would have been fired. Eyes was in silent fury during the entire ride to his producer's house. Once there, he let himself in without bothering to knock. When he slammed the door, Hinami came running into her front room and was relieved when she saw it was Eyes and not a burglar or something.

"Enlighten me," the silver-haired blade child said trying to keep his cool. "As to why the first thing that happened this morning was that I found out that apparently, I'm doing a duet world tour that I never agreed to."

"Well," the blue-haired woman said with the face of a kid who was being caught with their hand in a cookie jar. "Yesterday, I heard part of your conversation with Narumi-san when I was outside your room."

"Hinami-san **never **do anything **ever** again without consulting me **first**!" Eyes said through gritted teeth. "The conversation you heard between Kiyotaka Narumi and me was, first of all, private. And if your ears had been working properly, you would have heard that he **can't** play the piano anymore."

"Oh no!" Hinami exclaimed in a very worried, high-pitched voice that made Eyes cringe. "What'll I do? It's already been advertised on the internet all over the world."

"You better hope and pray," Eyes growled. "That Ayumu Narumi will agree to play around the world. Otherwise, you just lost your career. Because if he doesn't, this **will **be made your **fault**."

With Ayumu

The younger of the two Narumi brothers was currently running to school, because he was going to be late if he didn't. Ayumu had no idea what awaited him at school, because he hadn't watched or read the news that morning due to waking up late. And he had dashed out the front door before either Madoka or Kiyotaka could warn him. So all that was on his mind was the Mediterranean sea food with Italian soup Madoka had threatened him to make for dinner that night.

"AYUMU-KUN / LITTLE NARUMI! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?" This was the shout that awaited him from his four friends once he reached the school gate. Rio, Ryoko, Kousuke, and Hiyono (who appeared to have recovered somewhat) were standing in front of him looking like an ambush squad. He was honestly surprised at how quickly they found out. But then again, on should never underestimate Hiyono's information network.

"Look, I'm sorry ok?" Ayumu said putting his hand up in a defensive position. "My brother just barely came back last night. I didn't really think about calling you."

"That's now what," Rio started and then stopped. "Kiyotaka-sama came back?" Her voice was full of wonder. Hiyono had instantly pulled out her notebook and started writing madly upon hearing the news.

"What about the duet world tour?" Kousuke asked.

"Okay, now I'm officially confused," Ayumu said. "First why are you all here to ambush me about Aniki? Second, what do you mean about a duet world tour?"

"I take it you haven't seen the news today," Ryoko said. It was a statement, not a question. Ayumu merely nodded. The brown-haired girl then proceeded to sigh and take a deep breath in preparation for a long explanation.

"LOOK IT'S AYUMU NARUMI!" The shout came so loudly and suddenly that the chocolate-haired boy stumbled a bit when he turned around to see where the shout had come from. What he saw was a mass of his fellow students and some crazed reporters running toward him. Luckily, he felt someone grab his hand and quickly drag him away from them.

Once the five of them were safely on the roof, Kousuke locked the door using a stolen key. It was there that Ayumu realized that it had been Ryoko that was pulling him, and he felt a great surge of gratitude toward the track star. When he looked around, Hiyono was leaning against the guard rail, Ryoko was sitting, Kousuke was using her as a pillow, and Rio was digging in her back for something. That something turned out to be a magazine which she handed to Ayumu. Still confused, he opened it to a random page that just happened to have a picture of him, Kiyotaka, and Eyes. The article under said pretty much as the news program that Eyes had watched.

"Someone must really hate me," Ayumu groaned as he finished reading the magazine and leaned his head back against a wall.

"Why do you say that?" Hiyono asked with a cheerful voice. However, the perkiness was lacking which showed she still wasn't completely okay yet. Either way, Ayumu never got the chance to answer the question.

The Narumi Apartment

"Hey Kiyotaka," Madoka said while watching her husband clean the dishes. "Do you think Ayumu-kun will be ok at school today?"

"He'll be fine," Kiyotaka replied with certainty. "It's not like he'll have to feign ignorance if some reporters get a hold of him. Besides, he's a smart kid."

"I hope you're right," Madoka said as she shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch, still worried about her little brother.

Back at School

Eyes stepped out of his limo, and once again, ignored the reporters as he walked to the front office of Tsukiomi High. Once inside, he asked for Ayumu Narumi to be called down to the office. The receptionist, being a totally obsessed Eyes Rutherford fan, didn't even think twice as she honored his request.

"NARUMI AYUMU-KUN, COME TO THE FRONT OFFICE." This announcement over the intercom is what had interrupted him. The chocolate-haired boy had gotten up and left the roof without bothering to answer Hiyono's question after he had been called. Fortunately for him, the bell had already rung. So there was virtually noone around as Ayumu made his way down the building. However, it was a different story once he got outside.

Meanwhile up on the roof, Hiyono had decided to turn around and stare at the school down below where tons of reporters were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Rio went over to and noticed something that the caramel-haired girl didn't. Her cat-like eyes narrowed as she thought, 'What is Eyes-kun's limo doing here?'

It took Ayumu twenty minutes longer than it should have to get to the office, because he wasn't nearly as experienced with reporters as Eyes. And Hiyono didn't count because she already knew almost knew everything about him. Plus, he never had managed to get away from her. Anyway, when he finally fought his way through them, Ayumu had not been expecting to see Eyes there waiting for him.

"May we have a private room?" the silver-haired man asked the receptionist upon spotting Ayumu. Again, she immediately granted his request by gesturing towards her office. Wordlessly, Eyes dragged the younger teen into the offered space and slammed the door behind them.

"Please explain what the hell is going on," Ayumu said while rubbing his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "What's the deal with the world tour? My brother can't play anymore because of Kanone. And why are you here?"

"Actually, I am here to explain Little Narumi," Eyes replied shocking the other boy. "Yesterday, Kiyotaka came to me before going back home. We had a discussion about his inability to play the piano among other things. My producer misheard part of the conversation through the door, hence the duet world tour. I didn't know anything until I turned on the tv this morning. So, I'm here requesting that you accompany me and play the piano with me on the tour. If you don't want to, nothing will happen to except my producer will loser her job, and the media will put all the blame on her." For the next five minutes, the room was deathly silent. Ayumu was sitting and staring at the floor thinking over everything that had happened since last night. Eyes was just leaning against the desk while staring at Ayumu and waiting for an answer. Truth be told, he did and didn't want Ayumu to accept the offer at the same time.

"It's fine," Ayumu finally said sighing. "I'll go. I just have to take care of a few things." This time, it was Eyes's turn to be shocked. Had Little Narumi really just agreed to the world tour? And why had he after being so firm about not playing when they first met?


	3. Chapter 3

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 3

A/N: I promise there will be KousukeRyoko in the next chapter.

"It's fine," Ayumu finally said sighing. "I'll go. I just have to take care of a few things."

"And what would these things be?" Eyes asked his eyes narrowing. "And how long would they take?"

"Well," Ayumu said. "Besides the obvious like telling Kiyotaka and Madoka. I have to get approval from the school. Also, you're going to have to accept that I'm nowhere near as perfect as you are when it comes to playing the piano. So you'll have to be patient when we practice together. Can you do that?"

"That depends on how hard you'll actually be trying," Eyes replied. "Why are you doing this anyway? What could possibly possess you to play in front of millions of people when months ago, you wouldn't even play for me?"

"I don't want to intrude on their life," Ayumu said sadly. Although he would never admit it, he had missed Kiyotaka after moving back to his parents' when his brother had gotten married. And now, he would miss Madoka and all the threats, complaints, and violence that came with her. Ayumu no longer loved her like he used to, just as a sister, however, he would still miss her. "Kiyotaka disappeared not that long after they got married. And now that he's back, Madoka won't need me anymore. So the sooner I'm out of there, the sooner they can get on with their lives."

"I know they don't feel that way," Eyes said. "I know Kiyotaka, and yes he's selfish, but he cares about you. And from what I heard about Madoka, she does too. But if it would make you more comfortable, I can arrange for a room for you at the hotel I'm currently staying at."

"Thank you," Ayumu replied. "But why are you being so nice? I already agreed to the tour."

"That's why," Eyes answered. "Consider it thanks for not being difficult about it. However, do not start expecting it, Little Narumi." Truthfully, however, Eyes did not know why he was being nice to the younger Narumi. He had just had a sudden urge to comfort the boy but was seriously against showing affection. So, he had settled with acting nice.

Ayumu nodded a few seconds later and assumed that their conversation was over due to the fact that Eyes was now at the door. He opened it and waited for the younger teen to follow, which Ayumu did without a word. Once back out in the open, blue eyes stared unblinking at Ayumu as though waiting for something. After two minutes of none moving, one silver eyebrow was raised as it's owner said, "The principal."

"Oh right," Ayumu said stupidly as he went out to the hallway and headed to the stairs that led to the principal's office. As he walked, he cursed himself for acting so dumbly. Since when was he this brain-dead? Ayumu didn't bother to look behind him to see if Eyes was following, trusting that the silver-haired Blade Child had enough common sense to follow without being told.

When they got there, the waiting space outside the office was already filled up. And half of the people who were waiting just happened to be rabid Eyes Rutherford teenage fan girls. Instantly, the two males were surrounded by screaming females who all seemed to have voices too high-pitched to be real. Ayumu was, very visibly, cringing in pain, but Eyes's eyes merely narrowed slightly. He was used to the loud high-pitched screams that automatically came with a crowd of fan girls, but it was still barely tolerable with his sensitive ears.

A few minutes later, the principal came out to see what the ruckus was, and Ayumu would be extremely grateful for the rest of his days that Tsukiomi High's principal was a man. When he saw the source of all the noise, he shouted at the girls to be silent in a booming voice and gestured for Ayumu and Eyes to follow him into the office. Thankful for any reason to get away from the girls, Ayumu quickly slipped past them and into the office. Although, it was a little harder for Eyes, since he had to break free from a few who had been daring enough to grab onto him.

"So," Shotaro Fukuyama (the principal) said once all three of them were safely inside the office. "What do you two want?"

"Well, Fukuyama-sensei," Ayumu said quickly not thinking about how to best explain. "Eyes's producer has hearing problems, and my brother can't play the piano anymore. So, I was wondering if there was someway that I could go with Eyes on the duet world tour without having to repeat a grade."

'Smooth, Little Narumi,' Eyes thought sarcastically. 'What's wrong with him today? Normally he's cool as a cucumber and sharper than a tack. I didn't know he had dumb days.' Meanwhile, Ayumu was just mentally kicking himself.

"I guess it's fine as long as you have a tutor and are back in time for finals," Shotaro said after a long silence. "After all, you're a real smart kid, if lazy. However, you're still to attend school up to and right after this tour thing. As for today, just go home. I can't run this school properly with those crazy reporters around."

"Thank you, Fukuyama-sensei," the chocolate-haired boy said sighing in relief. "As for the reporter problem, why don't you have Hiyono take care of it?"

"No," the principal shouted, eyes wide with fear. "Anyone but her. Hiyono Yuizaki is much too frightening for such a thing."

"That's exactly why you should use her," Ayumu said grinning. "She'll terrify them. Anyway, just tell her it's a favor for Ayumu Narumi, and she'll definitely do it." With that, he left the principal's office and ducked behind Eyes as the girl herded around them. He didn't care how stupid it looked; these girls were almost as scary as Hiyono. This time, the silver-haired man forced his way through the crowd of screaming girls wanting to have at least a little of his sanity left by the end of the day, and Ayumu followed behind quite closely not wanting to be trapped.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" these words had flown out of the receptionist's mouth almost the instant the two were back in her vocal range.

"Actually there is," Ayumu said thoughtfully. Eyes, who really saw no more use for the predictable women, went and sat on one of the numerous chairs that were against the wall. "You see, we really need to speak to Hiyono Yuizaki. I know she might scare you, but Eyes will be so disappointed if he can't see her."

The receptionist nodded, but a glint of fear was definitely present in her eyes. However, her desire to please Eyes must have been much greater, because she had once again granted a request. Soon, the teenage girl whom everyone seemed to fear would be there.

"Ayumu-san! You called for me," the perky voice called from the place she was standing, which just happened to be near someone with annoyed blue eyes. Ayumu flinched as he turned around only mildly surprised. How on Earth did that girl appear out of nowhere? She had been called over the intercom a grand total of thirty seconds before she had appeared in the office.

"Yes, I did," the chocolate-haired boy replied. "Hiyono, how long would it take you to get rid of all the reporters that are on campus?"

"Hmm," she said thinking quickly. "That depends on my method, and how long you're willing to wait. If I used you two, I could probably get them to leave in less than a minute." Ayumu might have agreed to the quickest way possibly, but the twinkle in Hiyono's eyes scared him a **lot. **So much so, that he almost regretted asking for her help himself.

"What could you do by yourself in fifteen minutes?" Eyes asked, his tone making it clear he wanted to part in any plan that Hiyono could cook up.

"I can get rid of 85 of them in that much time," she answered cheerfully running off. "Make sure you don't come out until the fifteen minutes are up." Eyes could have sworn he heard the girl laugh evilly before she left, and something told Ayumu that Hiyono was going to have too much fun with the task he had given her.

"Why is everyone so afraid of your little friend?" Eyes asked. "And why is she so sure she can get rid of that many of them?"

"Let's just say," Ayumu replied. "That with her around, a secret does not exist. And no matter how much someone protects or hides a secret, she can figure out what it is. So basically, she can know anyone's deepest, darkest secret."

"Ah, that would be a power to be feared," was the comment as blue eyes flashed with interest. The rest of the fifteen minutes was spent in silence, and sure enough, when they went outside, there were almost no reporters left. However, the ones that were still around either looked scared or confused.


	4. Chapter 4

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 4

-On the Roof-

"Hey, look!" Rio shouted surprised as she leaned on the railing. "Almost half of the reporters have been scared away by Hiyono-chan."

"Seriously?" Ryoko asked surprised as she and Kousuke raced over to the railing. "How can you tell?"

"Well, they keep running away while screaming in terror," Rio replied. "Man, she's barely been down there for seven minutes."

"Interesting," Kousuke said watching the braided-haired girl in her work. About three seconds later, he received a flying kick from Ryoko that almost knocked him over the rail. "Ow! What did I do to deserve that?"

"Plenty!" the brown-haired girl shouted. "You're not allowed to be interested in any other girls!"

"Since when?" Kousuke asked raising one red eyebrow. "It's not like I have a girlfriend, unless someone here is interested in the position."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ryoko huffed as she punched the redhead in the gut. This caused Kousuke to groan in pain as he slumped on the round, and Rio giggled as she watched the interaction between her two older friends.

"Oh, come on Ryoko," the silver-haired girl said in a lecture-like tone. "It's about time you two got together. Everyone thinks you guys are a couple, and unlike the circumstances of myself and Hiyono-chan, you two feel the same way about each other." Ryoko didn't respond to this, only blushed while her mouth hung open idiotically. Then she felt someone pull her downward into their lap and kiss her cheek, which greatly intensified the blush.

"You know, Ryoko-chan," Kousuke whispered in her ear, stressing the –chan. "I think Rio's right."

"What are you talking about?" the blushing girl cried. "I hate your guts!" She struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"And I hate your guts too," Kousuke chuckled. "I guess that officially makes us a couple doesn't it?" Ryoko stopped struggling and muttered something that sounded like "Fine, whatever." Both Kousuke and Rio grinned widely when that happened. Kousuke continued to hold Ryoko in his lap, but Rio went back to watching Hioyno scaring the reporters with a smile on her face.

"You know," Rio said thoughtfully a few minutes later. "Someone should give Eyes-kun the good news." She pulled out her cell phone and started scrolling through her address book for Eyes's number. Ryoko's eyes widened and, she leaped at the younger female. Soon, a battle for the small girl's cell phone ensued, because one brown-haired girl did not want to shout her relationship to the world. Meanwhile, Kousuke quietly called Eyes on his own cell while watching the girls' wrestling match.

Down below, Ayumu and Eyes leaned against the outside wall of the office while watching Hiyono in her work. Apparently, she had forgotten the time limit of fifteen minutes they had set. When Eyes's cell phone rang, his eyes narrowed in annoyance upon seeing the name of the caller. Nonetheless, he answered it anyway.

"Asazuki, what do you want?" Eyes said his tone not masking his annoyance.

"Just updating you with the current events," the red-head answered in a sing-song voice. "You see, Ryoko-chan and I just got together. We are now a couple."

"I'm so happy for you," Eyes drawled in a disinterested tone. "Now has anything else happened that we all haven't been expecting for months?"

"Well, Hiyoko-chan is scaring away all the reporters," Kousuke answered. "Also, Rio and Ryoko are fighting over Rio's phone because Ryoko didn't want you to know that...uh oh! Rutherford, I'll call you later. I hope." Eyes chuckled as he listened to the redhead's pleading voice and then the loud screams of pain and terror caused by his new girlfriend. When all was quiet, the silver-haired teen closed his cell phone and put it back in his pocket.

"So, what was that all about?" Ayumu asked tilting his head to the side and looking at Eyes. He was curious after hearing the screams from through the phone.

"Nothing," Eyes replied now in a slightly better mood. "Look, your friend is done. Now we can go." Ayumu nodded now noticing that the campus was indeed quite empty of reporters. Hiyono came up to them with a huge smile on her face at doing such a good job. Both Eyes and Ayumu thanked the braided-haired girl.

"With that taken care of," Eyes said pushing away from the wall and heading towards the limo with Ayumu following close behind. "You can go talk with the other happy couple, and I'll make the necessary arrangements for the room."

"Kousuke and Ryoko finally got together then," Ayumu commented. It was more of a statement than a question. "I'm guessing that was the subject of the phone call." Eyes responded with a slight nod. At the limo, the driver opened the door for Eyes and hadn't closed it immediately after said pianist was inside. A few second later, Ayumu caught on and explained he would be walking home. With waves of good-bye from Hioyno and Ayumu, the limo was headed to the Tenkaichi Hotel.

"I'm escorting Ayumu-san home," the girl with caramel colored hair said, and she grabbed Ayumu's elbow and started dragging him in the direction of the Narumi apartment before protests could be made.

Needless to say, that was one of the most memorable and creepy walks in his life. Eye's fan girls couldn't, no matter how hard they tried, keep up with his limo. The result: they stalk the next best thing. Cue Ayumu Narumi- on of two very possible candidates for the duet world tour. Then, there were the reporters. Almost every single music magazine, radio show, and television program had set loose at least one reporter to go after him. Plus he had to deal with all the newspaper journalists. Not even Hiyono could disperse the crowd surrounding the two teenagers. Add the mob of people that had gathered around to see what was going on, and Ayumu felt like he was going to pass out from the lack of fresh air before he even got half way home.

"Ayumu-san, we made it!" Hiyono shouted triumphantly, her arms raised in the air in a "V" for victory. They were now inside the gate of the apartment complex, but the people following him hadn't exactly given up. So, the security guards were in the process of trying to disperse the crowd.

Shaking his head with disbelief, Ayumu dragged a sparkly-eyed Hiyono to his home before she could do any more damage. Unsurprisingly, Madoka and Kiyotaka were there, taking a day off of work, so they could make out on the couch. Ayumu cleared his throat loudly quite aware they hadn't been expecting him back a mere 90 minutes after he'd left.

"Madoka, Nii-san," he started after they had gotten presentable / normal-looking. "I'll be moving out for a few months at least. I've agreed to go on the duet world tour with Eyes, and for easier practice session, I'll be living at the Tenkaichi Hotel. Don't worry; I'll still be going to school." After his speech, Kiyotaka's expression showed no shock or surprise, Madoka, on the other hand, had her mouth handing open in a circular shape, her eyes were about ready to pop out of her head, and it didn't look like her normal scowl would be returning anytime soon.

"I was expecting this," Kiyotaka responded, indifference on his face, but a slight sadness was shown in his eyes. "Eyes wouldn't want a damaged reputation no matter how much he threatened Hinami. And with your personality, you wouldn't want to stay here much longer." Of course, the elder Narumi brother did not mention that Eyes had much more interesting reasons for wanting Ayumu along on the tour.

"_You expected it!"_ shouted on black-haired police officer. _"You knew Ayumu would go on a world tour, and you didn't even tell me!"_

"I said I expected it, Madoka," her husband replied. "Not that I knew for sure. I merely drew conclusion based on what I know of Ayumu and Eyes." Not wanting to be witness to the fight that was about to start, the chocolate-haired teen escaped into his room and stared packing. One braided-haired girl had opted to take a very different approach. The bright pink notebook was pulled out, and her pen was flying across the page.

Fifteen minutes after he was done packing, Ayumu no longer heard Madoka's shouting and poked his head out the door. Kiyotaka was still sitting in the exact same spot, no emotions apparent on his vague expression. Madoka was hunched over the back of the couch panting slightly, and Hiyono was reviewing what she had just "learned" about his crazy sister and complex brother. Quietly, he shut the door and grabbed his backpack plus what he packed. Then, the window was open and a blur of chocolate hair and a blue uniform swung over the fire escape railing and down into a back alley that Ayumu often used to avoid Hioyno for a few extra minutes in the morning before having to tolerate her presence all day. Anyway, said teenager used alleys and side streets to make his way to the Tenkaichi hotel.

His plan almost worked, seeing as he managed to avoid reporters the whole way. Unfortunately, the instant the young pianist stepped onto the only main street he had to use to get to the hotel, a crowd of seemingly-possessed Eyes Rutherford fan girls recognized his face. Panicking, Ayumu ran as fast as he could straight into the hotel lobby where, surprisingly, the blue-eyed blade child himself was waiting for Ayumu.

Without word, Ayumu followed Eyes into the elevator; then, finally got a chance to put his bag down for a little while. He had packed enough to last him four days, meaning he'd be doing laundry every three. Since Ayumu was used to this from living with Madoka, he wasn't too worried about it.

Anyway, Eyes showed Ayumu his pent house first; it had a piano, miniature kitchen, and two bedrooms with connecting bathrooms. There was also a living room-type area with a couch, side table, and television. The silver-haired man then informed Ayumu that he would be staying in a room much like this one right next door.

"No I'm not," was the chocolate-haired boy's response. "That would be a waste of space and money, so just tell me which bedroom isn't yours." Eyes merely shrugged and pointed as he went to go call the front desk to cancel the reservation.

A/N: Hooray! The end of Chapter 4 has arrived. Ayumu and Eyes are now living together! Dun dun dun! Too bad they're not living in the same room. But don't worry, I'll fix that eventually. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, I'd like to thank all my wonderful reviewers. Y'all know I love you. Chapter 5 of A Confusing Spiral of Emotions will feature a nice little surprise. See ya there!

Eyes: Can't we just skip to the part where I kiss the living daylights out of Ayumu.

Chatter: Now, now Eyes. That wouldn't be fair to the readers who want an actual plot line. And, I'm getting there.

Ayumu: What she said. -can't hide huge blush that's on his face-

Eyes: The only place I'm banned from kissing him is in your fan fiction correct?

Chatter: -nods- Yes. Feel free to make out with him anywhere else your heart desires. -smirks as she pulls out a camera and follows as Eyes drags his blushing boyfriend toward the bedroom-


	5. Chapter 5

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 5

That night as Ayumu sat on the sofa eating the room service Eyes had ordered for dinner, he vaguely wondered if Madoka had forced Kiyotaka into making that Mediterranean sea food and Italian soup or if they'd gone out to a place where she could order it. Although, that was only one of the many thoughts that were flitting through the spiky-haired teen's head. Most of his thoughts were occupied with his current situation. It had been ten whole weeks of not seeing Eyes, and suddenly, he found himself living with the silver-haired Blade Child.

Ayumu did not like the path his thoughts were traveling. He'd been a bit preoccupied before and now had time to thoroughly assess what had happened. First, he didn't like not seeing Eyes for such a long period of time. Then, when he does see him, he's confused, happy, and anxious all at the same time. Lastly, it'd taken him less than five minutes to take up the tour offer, when he really didn't want to. True, the teen wanted to give his brother and sister-in-law their time alone together, but he found that spending time with the blue-eyed man was quite a favorable side effect.

Infinitely grateful that Eyes was out at the moment, Ayumu hit himself on the head quite literally when his cheeks became warm after that last thought. Trying to convince himself he was merely tired from that day's events, the chocolate-haired boy went to his new room, changed clothes, and went to sleep. The shower could wait in the morning, when he'd, hopefully, be a little more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Around ten o'clock, Eyes returned from a meeting with his producer and agency only slightly exhausted. It was somehow disconcerting that Eyes was getting used to that annoying blue-haired woman named Hinami. She'd been so happy about keeping her job, she'd practically crushed Eyes to death in a hug. As was second nature to him, the silver-haired man mechanically went through the motions of getting ready for bed. Soon enough, he was lying in bed and waiting for sleep to over take him. However, he did not expect the sight that greeted him a few minutes later.

Ayumu stood in the doorway with outstretched arms as though looking for something, but his eyes were closed, and his breathing was even. As Eyes looked onward confounded, the younger teen slowly shuffled to the bed. The silver-haired man never would have thought his new housemate was a sleepwalker. Truth be told, it was the first time since childhood that Ayumu had subconsciously moved anywhere.

A few moments later, the chocolate-haired boy lied down in the bed and started moving trying to get in a more comfortable position. Soon, his subconscious body decided that turning on his side and snuggling close to Eyes was the best spot to be and was suddenly calm again. Greatly disconcerted, Eyes was contemplating on just pushing Ayumu out of the bed rather than going through the trouble of actually carrying the boy back to his own room. Before his decision was made, Ayumu mumbled something inaudibly causing the Eyes's thought procession to stop. Again, albeit louder this time, Ayumu mumbled the same thing, "So warm…feels nice."

Considering it was early fall, there was no reason for said boy to be coveting any sort of heat. Quickly, Eyes realized it was not heat Ayumu wanted; it was another person's warmth. The younger teen probably hadn't felt such warmth in a long while to be so unconsciously desperate for it. Realizing the fact that Ayumu had subconsciously chosen Eyes made the elder smile. Maybe the chocolate-haired boy didn't feel the same affection that Eyes did, but it was a start. Yes, Eyes was already starting to realize his feeling for the one snuggling up beside him.

Ayumu, being the early riser that he was, had woken up before Eyes and been quite embarrassed at the predicament he found himself him. They weren't in his room, meaning Ayumu had to have been the cause for this. He wasn't stupid and knew Eyes would never have carried him to the bed, which meant the accursed sleepwalking had returned. Not wanting to find out whether or not the elder male was aware of the situation, Ayumu flew out of the bed, hurriedly got dressed, and raced to school only to arrive half an hour early.

After this had happened three nights in a row, Eyes had dragged a protesting Ayumu to his room the fourth night, because the silver-haired man found himself tired of being woken up at midnight just to see his new bedtime companion shuffling in. Thoroughly mortified with what was happening, Ayumu continued to squirm until Eyes pointed out that it would be much less awkward for both of them if the chocolate-haired boy would just accept what couldn't be changed and deal with the situation in a calm manner. Realizing that the blue-eyed man was right, Ayumu slipped under the covers in Eyes bed and laid as far away as the bed would allow. At least, he could control how close they were until he was asleep.

During the first two days of piano practice, it had been absolutely dreadful. Ayumu wasn't a bad player, but without the two of them being in harmony, they couldn't play together on one piano. After the sleeping situation had been worked out, they were slowly getting accustomed to being so close together for extended periods of time. This helped them harmonize and play a bit better. True, the brown-eyed teen was nowhere near adept as the blue-eyed man, but together they sounded fairly good.

In all actuality, Ayumu was the one who'd been having trouble adjusting, but Eyes would never admit that. Eyes was completely comfortable around the piano-playing detective despite the obvious tension constantly emanating from him. However, it was the sleeping together that was problematic for the silver-haired man. Being so close to the young male at night sent Eyes's imagination wandering to places it shouldn't have. Although it was slight, Eyes was starting to suffer from lack of sleep.

A week passed, and the two pianists received a visit from an overly hyper Hinami. Determined not to mess up again after being saved by Ayumu, the producer had thrown herself into making the duet world tour the best it could possibly be. Not exhausted in the slightest, the blue-head had come bounding into the penthouse, practically bouncing off the walls in excitement.

"I have it," she said breathlessly after calming down enough to the point where she could speak to Eyes without getting yelled at by the Blade Child. "I have your schedule for the tour." Without speaking, Eyes held out his hand and was given a piece of paper that had magically appeared in the producer's hand out of thin air. Since Ayumu was shorter than Eyes, he had to slightly lean in front of the silver-haired man rather than peaking over his shoulder.

_Duet World Tour Schedule_

_November 23_

_Tokyo, Japan_

_7:00 pm_

_Hakuju Hall_

_2 pianos_

_November 27 - 28_

_Sydney, Australia_

_3:00 pm_

_Sydney Opera House_

_1 piano_

_November 31 - December 1_

_Los Angeles, California, USA_

_1: 30 pm_

_Hollywood Bowl_

_1 piano_

_December 3 - 5_

_New York City, New York, USA_

_4:45 pm_

_Angel Orensanz Center_

_2 pianos_

_December 10 - 11_

_London, England_

_6:30 pm_

_Cadogan Hall_

_1 piano_

_December 17 - 19_

_Venice, Italy_

_3:45 pm_

_Gran Teatro La Fenice\_

_1 piano_

_December 23_

_Paris, France_

_2:00 pm_

_Salle Pleyel_

_2 pianos_

_December 24 - 28_

_Paris, France_

_5-day break for Holidays_

_December 30_

_Otsu, Japan_

_8:15 pm_

_Biwako Hall_

_2 pianos_

"Why have you not given me all the important information, Hinami?" Eyes asked, his left eyebrow twitching. "Did you not think it wise to make me aware of the fact that half our performances involve two pianos?"

"Actually, I didn't know until today when I got the paper," the blue-head said with a bright smile since Eyes wouldn't get mad at her for something that wasn't her fault. "Apparently someone requested to have two pianos instead of one, so Toriya-sama offered the choice to everyone. It's quite obvious who accepted and who didn't. Don't worry though, I'm having a second piano delivered to you soon."

"When will it be here?" Ayumu asked slightly anxious due to the fact that it was hard enough harmonizing with Eyes's perfection on the same piano. He knew it would take a lot of practice and hard work on his part to flow together on separate instruments.

"Seeing as these things take time," Hinami said, misinterpreting his tone as annoyed rather than worried. "I ordered it rush delivery. It should be here in a week or so. The delivers assured me that it would take no longer than two. After all, I had to order the best quality piano available; anything else would've been an insult to you two." Grinning at her supposed success, the blue-head bowed and skipped away intent on making sure that the international advertising was going well.

"Don't worry Narumi-kun," Eyes said in a wary tone. He wanted to comfort the younger teen, but without letting on how much he actually cared. "We will continue to practice on the one piano until the second arrives. As you become more adapted to playing my style, it will become less difficult to harmonize while playing on separate pianos."

Ayumu mutely nodded and turned back to the task at hand. Before Hinami had bounded in, the spiky-haired detective had been making lunch. He had quickly become tired of room service, and since Eyes was not objecting, Ayumu had taken to cooking any meal that they would be eating together.

As blue eyes watched Ayumu, his brown ones turned thoughtful. Although Eyes had not changed his style in the slightest to match Ayumu's, he had been extremely patient with the chocolate-haired boy's inexperience. The elder male had also stopped calling him Little Narumi. While being called by his last name felt weird, Ayumu was thankful to no longer be distinguished as only the younger brother of a genius but as his own person. As he continued contemplating, something was happened to him. Unaware of the subtle changes and emotions circulating within him, Ayumu had become quite attached to Eyes in an unexpected way. These emotions were like those he'd felt for Madoka months ago, except much, much stronger.

A/N: YAY! The end of another chapter. Sorry if it sucked, but I really like this one. Anyway, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers and patient readers. I know I don't update as often as I should, but I can't help that. See, I had this really weird fanfic in my head and even though, I'll never post it; until I finished writing it down, my imagination wouldn't give me anything else. So, sorry about that. Oh and if you're wondering about the tour schedule, every single one of those places exist in real life, but I'm not an expert on any of them. I just went to some classical music concert website and looked up the names of concert halls in the various cities where Ayumu and Eyes will be playing. Anyway, see you in the next chapter. Lucky for you guys, it's already starting to form in my head.


	6. Chapter 6

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 6

"Narumi-kun," Ryoko said in a genuinely worried voice. "What's going on with you?" It was the day after Hinami had delivered the tour schedule, and Ryoko was alone with Ayumu on the rooftop of the school. She had locked the door after stealing the key from Kousuke, ensuring that they were alone.

Ayumu, who was sitting against the wall that Ryoko was leaning on, looked up at the blade child. Concern was written all over her expression, and he considered telling her the truth. See, no one knew about his new living arrangements outside of himself, Eyes, Madoka, and Kiyotaka. They had all agreed not to tell as per Ayumu's wishes, but the chocolate-haired detective was still quite a bit uncomfortable with what had been happening recently. He didn't want to talk to Eyes about it. The silver-haired man had been extremely kind as of late, and Ayumu didn't want to push his luck in that department. Talking to Madoka would be risky, because he didn't know her view on such things. Kiyotaka wouldn't judge him, but that talk would be extremely awkward because of the two and a half years of disappearance. So, he didn't have a whole lot of options.

But here was Ryoko, kind-hearted and patient Ryoko, asking him what was wrong. She wouldn't judge Ayumu nor would she tell to others what he confided in her. It only took a second glance at her concerned expression, and Ayumu felt a great need to just talk with someone who was willing to listen. So, he told Ryoko to sit down. As she did so, the cinnamon-haired blade child smiled, glad that he trusted her.

"I'm not sure how to begin," Ayumu confessed and was silent for a moment before getting his thoughts in order. "First, you need to know I started living with eyes in his two-room pent house. I wanted to give Kiyotaka and Madoka their space, and Eyes was kind enough to let me move in with him." He stopped again and looked into Ryoko's eyes once more. They were merely inquisitive as she stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"As should be obvious, we slept in the separate rooms," the detective continued with a sigh. "But I ended up sleepwalking to his room and getting into bed with him. Well, it didn't happen only once. After happening three times, Eyes just started dragging me to his room whenever we were going to bed. It just feels really awkward, but this way, I'm not constantly waking him up in the middle of the night."

"I don't see how that's a bad thing," Ryoko replied, tilting her head. "If what you say is true, sleeping in the same bed is the logical thing to do. It's not like you two are having sex, and feeling awkward is perfectly natural."

"But that's what's wrong," Ayumu voiced in a frustrated tone. "It's not a disgusted or creepy type of awkward but a nervous, confusing type of awkward. And I don't get that feeling just when we're in the bed. It also comes when we're playing his piano together or when he gets really close to me in general." He sighed again and buried his head in his knees. These emotions were new and confusing, but this little bit of talking had already started to help make him feel a little bit better.

"Oh Narumi-kun, you would sure make a cute little brother," Ryoko commented while smiling brightly and ruffling Ayumu's hair. "You're incredibly smart, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you're as naïve as a newborn baby."

"I don't understand what you're saying," Ayumu groaned.

"But you will someday," the girl said. "Don't worry; it's not a bad thing."

After that, the two sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Ayumu was glad to have talked about this. Her words comforted him more than he though possible. As another thought occurred to her, Ryoko broke the peaceful silence by asking, "How would you examine Eyes's personality Narumi-kun?"

"Well," Ayumu said. "He likes to appear cold and aloof. Most of the time, it's not just an appearance, but there's a lot more to him than just that. He really cares about some people, only a few though. However, his is really kind to those few and would do anything to protect them. Sometimes he seems really lonely, like he's missing something and knows what it is but can't find or hold onto it. Eyes can get angry easily but normally doesn't show it, and his hope is his greatest strength."

"Impressive," Ryoko replied, then thought, 'You're on the right track, Narumi-kun. You've realized Eyes's true personality, and that's the first step on the path your heart is about to lead you on.' Ayumu nodded in response to Ryoko's verbal reply, then paled. The sun was setting, and he was extremely late for the next session of piano practice.

Eyes had, earlier in the morning, informed Ayumu that he would be home earlier than normal, allowing for a few extra hours of practice. Unfortunately, Ayumu's brain had neglected to remember this until just as the sun was setting. If he was lucky, the chocolate-haired teenager would get home in time to make dinner.

"What's wrong now?" Ryoko asked, noticing the sudden change in her friend's demeanor.

"I'm late!" Ayumu shouted, getting up and dashing away. Fortunately, the roof locked from either way, so the door did not impede his progress. No one was around in the halls to see the panicked detective, but that only made him run faster.

Within minutes, Ayumu was standing outside the pent house, not too keen on going inside. He was afraid of what awaited him on the other side of that door. However, the longer he stood out there, the later he would be. So, after taking a deep breath, the chocolate haired teen opened the door and stepped inside.

Eyes was sitting on the couch, watching some random movie on the television and turned his head slightly to see his roommate enter their home. Ayumu looked at Eyes's expression with surprise. There was no hint on anger or annoyance on his face, only some unreadable emotion in his blue orbs. This relieved and worried the detective at the same time.

"So, you're finally back," Eyes said in an extremely calm voice that held no hint of undertones. "Where were you?"

"With Ryoko," Ayumu answered hesitantly. "Aren't you angry?"

"Not in the slightest," Eyes replied, turning back to his movie. "Would you rather I be?"

"No, not at all," Ayumu's words rushed out involuntarily. "I'm just confused."

"I assume you were gone for a good reason," The silver-haired man commented. "Do you believe the time you spent with Ryoko worth losing those two extra hours of practice?"

"Yes," Ayumu answered honestly.

"Good," Eyes said. "Then, will you please make dinner? After we have finished eating, we will continue with practice."

Ayumu nodded and went to work. While working in the kitchen, he would take periodic glances at his host, only to confirm his earlier assessment. The silver-haired man didn't look the least bit irritated or disturbed, naught but calm and relaxed. This only caused the chocolate-haired teen to become further confused.

Why was Eyes being so kind lately? The blue-eyed blade child was only so considerate towards those he cherished. Believing that Eyes cared about him was too much to hope for. There had to be another explanation, and after a few trips down memory lane, Ayumu finally recalled the conversation they had in the receptionist's office. Eyes was only being nice, because he was being so cooperative about the tour.

Soon dinner was cooked, and they ate in silence. This wasn't all that rare, but normally, there were a few sentences exchanges between the two. This time though, not a single word was uttered. Eyes noticed the odd silence but did not say anything. Ayumu seemed as though he needed to think something through, and the older man had enough respect for the young detective to give him the courtesy of silence.

After dinner was done, Ayumu dumped the dishes into the sink and told Eyes he had to do some homework. So, rather than the extra practice the two had anticipated for that afternoon, they actually only got a third of their usual practice time. After Ayumu's homework was done, they only had enough time for one hour of practice instead of the normal three.

That night, as Ayumu subconsciously snuggled against Eyes yet again, the blue-eyed man gazed down at him while contemplating the recent string of events. He cared about Ayumu a great deal more than he let on, but that didn't explain why he was being so kind to the teen quite suddenly. For the longest time, he had been able to feign indifference around him, but now, Eyes's body automatically jumped to the most considerate action. However, Eyes did not need to ponder long to know the reason. He had fallen for the chocolate-haired, piano-playing, teen detective. He had fallen for Ayumu Narumi.

It had happened quickly and unexpectedly, but nevertheless, it had happened. On impulse, Eyes leaned down and pressed his lips against Ayumu's soft ones. He hadn't expected a reaction and was greatly surprised when he felt Ayumu kissing him back. Eyes pulled away quickly and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the teen was still asleep. On the other hand, Ayumu let out a whimper at the loss of contact. Smirking, Eyes wrapped his arms around Ayumu's waist and pulled the sleeping figure closer to his body. After kissing Ayumu on the forehead and laying his head back down on his pillow, Eyes was soon asleep as well.

A/N: And so we come to the end of another chapter of A Confusing Spiral of Emotions. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. To anyone who reviewed, I thank you. For faves and alerts, I thank you for your continuing support. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to write them in a review. I will address them to the best of my ability without giving away what will happen in the future. I do have the basic plotline planned out, but suggestions are always welcome to make my fanfic more interesting to the reader. I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to write a lemon for this, but if I do, it will be after I'm done with the story and a stand alone one-shot that goes along with the plotline. 'Nuff said and see you in the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

A Confusing Spiral Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of it's characters.

Chapter 7

During the following month or so, every day seemed to follow a particular preset pattern. Ayumu would get up in the morning, make breakfast, and east with Eyes. Then, he'd go to school, eat lunch with the blade and Hiyono. After school, he'd go back to the hotel, do his homework, and wait for Eyes to get home. Ayumu would next make dinner; they would eat dinner, practice, and go to bed.

Most people would eventually find this routine boring and monotonous. Ayumu, however, found himself growing more comfortable and feeling more secure with his new living arrangements as each day passed. The awkward tension between him and Eyes had all but faded, and their synchronization on the piano benefited from that immensely. The two pianists now played together in almost perfect harmony.

Unfortunately, exactly two weeks before the first performance, Ayumu's blissfully content days came to a grinding halt. For that was the day that Hiyono and Rio made their extremely unexpected announcement on the rooftop at lunchtime.

It had been a normal day so far, with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Ayumu was sitting with Kousuke and Ryoko on the roof waiting for the last two member of their small group of friends. After all, it was polite to wait until everyone had gathered before one started eating.

Anyway, a good five minutes later than normal, the two girls appeared in the doorway. Both had slightly red cheeks and held the other's hand. Kousuke was instantly smirking widely, as though he'd been expecting something like this for a while. Ryoko grinned, squealed, and started jumping ump and down. Ayumu just stared.

"Well," Rio said in a somewhat shy voice. "Just to make clear what should be obvious, we've started going out."

"Congratulations!" Ryoko said making it sound like the other two girls had won the lottery. Hiyono turned even redder but was smiling more brightly than Ayumu had ever seen. Any guilt that remained from rejecting her confession six weeks afore was now forever erased from the chocolate-haired teen's consciousness.

"Cool," Kousuke commented. "Now, all we have to do is find someone for Little Narumi here." Ayumu looked down and blushed as him mind instantly conjured up a mental image of Eyes. Confused, the detective shook his head, trying to rid himself of the piercing blue gaze, causing him to wonder why it was there in the first place. Fortunately or unfortunately, he did not have to dwell on it for long.

"Shut up you idiot," Ryoko shouted while hitting her boyfriend on the head. She knew about Ayumu's potential feelings for Eyes and didn't want Kousuke to say anything that might mess that up somehow.

"She's right," Hiyon said gently but firmly. "When Ayumu has found someone, we will know, and we will not interfere with his love life. That can only lead to disaster."

"What makes you say that?" Kousuke asked, some kind of plan had obviously already started hatching in his head.

"Figure it out on your own," the journalist said with a mischievous smile. "You know his personality just as well as I do." The redhead was about to protest, but he was interrupted by a loud, growling sound.

"Can we please start eating now?" Ayumu grumbled looking up, blush still present on his cheeks. He was oddly grateful that it could now be explained away by embarrassment. Having a chuckle at the chocolate-haired teen's expense, they all sat down in a circle and proceeded to eat their lunches.

For the rest of the day, Ayumu was extremely distracted by thoughts about Hiyono and Rio. He had always expected the braided-haired girl to eventually move on and fall in love with someone else. However, he had never though it would be Rio, or any other girl for that matter. Many people would say their relationship was wrong or disgusting, but they looked so happy together. Ayumu couldn't help but think they belonged together and were so perfectly right together that no one should ever call it wrong.

Now, this train of thought would normally last an hour at most in the mind of Ayumu Narumi, but fate was not kind that day. The only time such thoughts would not leave his head was when he would try to equate them to his own life. Now, this was quite frustrating to the detective, because he couldn't figure out why he thought Hiyono's and Rio's relationship resembled any of his own.

Needless to say, Ayumu was quite thankful when school let out. However, he did not go straight back to the hotel. He was not quite ready to be alone with his thoughts, and no homework had been assigned that day. So, the chocolate-haired teen had opted to go with the two happy couples to the arcade.

There, he was temporarily able to forget the confusing thoughts that were running through his head and feelings that were sporadically coming from his heart. Kousuke destroyed him on a shooting game, and Ryoko easily beat him at DDR. He beat Hiyono at a logic/puzzle game, and surprisingly won against Rio in a game of ski ball.

Unfortunately, he was alone again all to soon. At the very least, however, Ayumu had a dinner to make since Eyes would be home soon. This kept his hands busy and made him concentrate on making the food edible. But seeing as all this was second nature to him now, his mind would periodically wander back to the thoughts and emotions had been trying so desperately to avoid for the last few hours.

The dinner conversations that had been getting progressively longer and more comfortable was once again bathed in awkward silence that night. Eyes, who had come home in a fairly good mood, immediately noticed the change from Ayumu's usual demeanor. The silver-haired blade child had, over the last month and a half, slowly learned how to identify the detective's differentiating moods and emotions. So, he was both worried and confused at how drastically different Ayumu's attitude was and decided to address it at dinner.

"What happened today?" were the first words out of Eyes's mouth once the table had been set and food dished out.

"Not much," Ayumu replied, genuinely surprised that his roommate had noticed something was different. He didn't think Eyes paid that much attention. "Rio and Hiyono announced that they have started dating, and we all went to the arcade." This is where awkward silence followed, since Ayumu refused to say anymore, and Eyes couldn't comprehend or figure out how to ask how that would affect his mood in such a way.

Understandably, practice that night could be described as naught but horrid compared to the skill level Ayumu had been playing for the last few weeks. Unexpectedly, Eyes was not the least bit mad but very concerned for his playing partner. During their living together, the silver-haired had developed a soft spot for Ayumu and held much more patience for the teen than he had for others.

"What's so wrong, Ayumu, that it has affected your playing to this extent?" Eyes asked with a tone that showed what he truly felt, concern. "Are you not feeling well?" Unfortunately, it would have been better if he yelled, which the chocolate-haired detective would make obvious in short order.

"Stop it," Ayumu shouted, pounding on the keys in front of him. "Just stop."

"Stop what?" Eyes asked, now a little more worried and confused.

"Stop being so nice," Ayumu shouted again, all the confusion and frustration he was feeling coming out at once. "You're never nice or kind or caring to anyone but people like Rio and Ryoko. Even Kousuke doesn't have the privilege of your endearing compassion. So, stop being so nice to me when it's just because of this stupid tour."

Silently, Eyes stood up from the piano bench and walked away to their formerly shared room. The anger rolled off him in waves that Ayumu felt both relief and guilt towards. Ayumu's words had pierced straight through to Eyes's heart. If Ayumu truly felt there was nothing more to them than a temporary work relationship, then the friendship and possibility Eyes had felt was obviously one-sided. That night was the first night in a long while that both pianists retired to their separate rooms.

All might have been lost. Things might have gone to the place where they were beyond repair. However, Ayumu's subconscious once again acted on feelings that had Ayumu's conscious feeling both confused and immoral. The chocolate-haired teen once again sleepwalked over to Eyes's bedroom and snuggled close to the warmth that he found so inviting and appealing.

The blue-eyed blade child had remained awake in bed for a few hours, staring at the door. He convinced himself it was a false hope but still hoped that Ayumu would come through that door. It didn't matter whether he was asleep or awake, as long as he walked through that door. And walk through that door is exactly what Ayumu did, saving the crumbling foundation of their potential future relationship.

Over the next two weeks, Eyes returned to acting like his normal cold and aloof self around Ayumu, but it was never a complete mask. No matter how emotionless and indifferent his expression seemed, there was always some affection in his gaze toward the chocolate-haired teen.

Needless to say, the two pianists still practiced together, but they didn't get any better over the last couple weeks. Fortunately, they did not get any worse. That precision and synchronization Ayumu and Eyes had worked for was hard to lose, but they were still a far cry from the perfect harmony that was needed to make the concert dazzling instead of just exceptional.

By the time the Tokyo performance at Hakuju Hall on November 23 had rolled around, Ayumu was far from ready to go on stage. He had managed to keep his nerves mostly calm during the day, which was hectic enough without his internal problems. However, once he was standing next to Eyes right before they went out, waiting as Hinami was making a big performance out of just the introduction, the chocolate-haired teen's nerves had gone beyond frayed and right into panic mode.

"Relax," Ayumu heard Eyes's gentle yet commanding voice in his ear. "You'll do fine, trust me." And trust Eyes is exactly what Ayumu did. Their show that night was nothing short of miraculous. The perfect harmony they had practiced so hard to achieve was suddenly there, and Ayumu felt entirely comfortable, as though he was back in their hotel room. It didn't matter that they were in front of thousands of people. It didn't matter that critics were harshly listening to every sound made from the piano. It didn't matter if he wasn't perfect, and it didn't matter if he messed up. All that mattered to Ayumu was the fact that Eyes was right next to him and they could continue to play like this.

A/N: And here's the end of another chapter. If I was mean, I could end the story right here. But in all my infinite wisdom and kindness, the story will continue. It's far from complete in my eyes (although a few of my friends seem to disagree). I can easily crank at least two or three more chapters for this story out of my head. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for anyone who has in the past or will in the future review, alert, or favorite this story. I love all my fans. As stated afore, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to write them in a review. I will address them to the best of my ability without giving away what will happen in the future. I do have the basic plotline planned out, but suggestions are always welcome to make my fanfic more interesting to the reader.


	8. Chapter 8

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Spiral or any of its characters.

"Come on, Ayumu," a certain silver-haired man said suddenly as soon as the second encore was done, and he had decided that their first concert was officially over. "We need to sneak out the back while they're still distracted."

Thoroughly confused, Ayumu merely nodded and followed Eyes out of the concert hall and into the limo that would take them back to the hotel. For his instant cooperation, Eyes would be forever grateful to Ayumu, because experience in the entertainment business had taught him a fair few things. One of which was that the speculations before a highly anticipated concert were very often just the tip of the iceberg compared to the aftermath. And Eyes wanted Ayumu safe behind closed doors before the shock of a perfect performance wore off.

Besides, they didn't have time for endless interview that night, because Eyes was determined that they fly out first thing in the morning. Anyways, once the two pianists were actually in the aforementioned limo, Ayumu slumped backwards in his seat, obviously exhausted. It made sense though, what with his whole body feeling like little more than a bundle of highly tensed up nerves the entire day.

The rid back to the hotel was a silent one, but it was a comfortable silence. Ayumu had finally accepted that he was going to feel confused whenever he was in Eyes's presence, and the tension visibly dropped from his body when the brown-haired teen was no longer so at odds with himself. When that happened, Eyes found no reason to be tightly wound himself and would allow himself to relax more so in the younger male's presence. In this comfortable silence, Eyes found his mind wander to contemplate the near future. It would be a long time before his life had any semblance of peace again. At least, this time, he would have an empathetic companion along for the sure to be anarchic ride.

When the limo pulled into the hotel's drive, the blue-eyed man's eyes lit with amusement once he had one reason they had spent the entire ride in silence. Apparently, as soon as he was relaxed enough, Ayumu had fallen asleep. Proof of this would be the fact that he was obviously in a very deep sleep. Chuckling to himself, Eyes scooted closer to Ayumu to shake him awake, slightly regretful that he did not have enough energy to simply carry him back to their penthouse suite.

"Ngh, Madoka, five more minutes," Ayumu groaned, chocolate eyses fluttering open, and then shut again, too quickly actually perceive his true surroundings. However, the warm hand on his shoulder was relentless, and soon his sleep-clouded mind registered that the hand was too large, although familiar enough, to be his elder sister-in-law's hand. Also, the soft chuckle belonged to a voice far too deep. Startled surprise caused a shot of adrenaline to rush through his veins, and his brown orbs flashed open. After one wild moment panic, Ayumu calmed down when he was that it was only Eyes.

"It's time to go inside and get some real sleep," the silver-haired man said, wicked amusement glinting in his blue eyes.

"Thanks," replied Ayumu, not really all too sure what he was grateful for. Mentally shrugging, Ayumu followed Eyes out of the limo on into the hotel. Once they were inside, something slowly registered in the chocolate-haired teen's mind, and he glanced confusedly over his shoulder. Unless his sleep-addled brain playing tricks on him, Ayumu would swear he saw a few flashes of light permeate the darkness of the night during their 30-second trip from one door to the other. Deciding it wasn't really important at the moment, he hurried to catch up with Eyes, who was already at the elevator, waiting for it to finish its decent to the ground floor.

Soon enough, the two pianists were in the penthouse, both heading towards their respective rooms. Ayumu stripped down to his boxer as quickly as he could and left his suit discarded on the ground, too tired to actually care that doing so might ruin it. Opening a drawer, he pulled on the first T-shirt his hand touched and headed straight for Eyes's room. Once there, he pulled back the covers and plopped down on the bed, already asleep seconds after his head hit the pillow. A few minutes later, the blue-eyed blade child joined him, pulling the covers up around them both. He watched the brunette sleeping with a peaceful smile adorning his usually somber face for a few moments before settling into a more comfortable position and falling asleep himself. However, somewhere in the back of both their minds before and during their slumber, both teens had subconsciously acknowledged that they were back on normal speaking terms, and both were extremely grateful for it.

The next morning, Ayumu woke up first. Blinking through morning bleariness, he stumbled out of bed and towards his room, stomach grumbling all the while. Almost second nature to him, the brown-haired teen was halfway through making breakfast before remembering he could just order room service.

"You do realize we need to leave as quickly as possible right?" a deep voice muttered from behind him. Ayumu didn't need to turn around to know Eyes was shuffling across the suite, intent on getting his morning coffee.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Ayumu replied, fighting back the embarrassed blush that threatened to warm his cheeks. "Besides, I thought Hinami procured a private jet for you long ago."

"You'll see what I mean once we step outside." And he left it at that.

Once they had reached the lobby, Ayumu understood what Eyes had meant. He didn't need to be outside to see the massive gathering. Now, he wished the had awoken at dawn but soon realized it might not have made much of a difference. Turning back towards his friend, Ayumu asked, "Are you sure there's not a back way out, like through the kitchens or something?"

"Almost assuredly, there will be a few people there too," the blue-eyed blade child answered. "And trust me when I say that is not a picture you want the press to have."

"Of course not," the detective muttered darkly. "Remind me why I agreed to do this stupid tour thing again. Better yet, tell me why you chose this career in the first place." Chuckling, Eyes nudged Ayumu out the door and into the crowd. The walk to the limo took far longer than it should have, and although it was only a few minutes, it felt like the longest of his life. Even the walk home with Hiyono on the first day he had agreed to this whole crazy tour wasn't as bad. Then, there had been less people, less camera flashes, and less shrieking, screaming, squealing banshee creature that called themselves fan girls.

A short limo ride, long waith through airport security, and a quick trip to the private jet later, Ayumu and Eyes were on their way to Australia. Hinami and Eye's manager, Kureno, had already been in the plane, waiting for the two pianists to arrive. The professional concert pianist was sitting back, listening to a CD of a genre of music most of his fans would never imagine him liking, hard rock. As much as he loved the classical music he played, Eyes also enjoyed variety. Ayumu, on the other hand, was actually listening to a recording of last night's performance, obtained courtesy of Hinami. The brown-haired teen was both surprised and pleased to find that, while he could distinguish between the notes he and Eyes had played, the melody flowed together and intertwined perfectly throughout the songs. Hinami and Kureno were discussing the finer points of the tour schedule. All in all, it was a fairly peaceful ride; they didn't fly through any harsh turbulence.

Unfortunately, the peace would not last, and what interrupted was the ringing of Ayumu's cell phone just a few seconds after he had turned it on once the flight had ended. Staring at the screen, he was confused as to why Kousuke, of all people, was calling him. Shrugging his shoulders, the brown-haired teen flipped it open and answered with an inquiring tone, "Hello?"

"Ayumu." The voice paused, giving Ayumu time to get over the shock of hearing Hiyono's voice on the other line. Although, he could tell it was on speaker since there was sniffling in the background. Unless he was mistaken, that was Ryoko. "I'm so sorry. I've been worried about you the last couple weeks. Yesterday, I was talking to Ryoko about it, and… I'm just really, really sorry. Ryoko's so upset she can't even form whole sentences."

"What on Earth are you talking about, Hiyono?" Ayumu asked, now even more confused than ever.

"I'll just send it over to you," Hiyono replied. "We're both really sorry, Ayumu. Please tell that to Eyes. I understand if you get mad and don't want to speak to me for a while. Good-bye. I'm sorry." And with that, Hiyono hung up, leaving Ayumu staring at his open phone with the most bewildered expression on his face that had ever been there.

"Is something the matter with Hiyono and the others?" Eyes asked, walking up to his still mystified friend. Hinami and Kureno had stopped on their path to getting out of the plane and turned back to wait for their two stars.

"I have no idea," Ayumu answered as his phone started going off again. "But we're about to find out."

A/N: Hello and welcome to the end of Chapter 8. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter of A Confusing Spiral of Emotions, and it may seem like nothing more than a filler chapter now, but I promise you it has a point. Also, I'm extremely sorry it took me I don't know how long to update this fanfiction. Like always, I was just sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike. Thank you to all who reviewed, faved, and alerted. It makes me feel special to know that there are those awaiting my updates (even if they do take forever).

Oh and for something new for this fic that I've already started putting in other fanfics as well, because I really do appreciate them.

I love reviewers, but I do have a request. I would really love for someone to seriously critique my work. It doesn't have to stop at constructive criticism. I'd love for someone to really pick apart my work and tell me every little thing they hated, what needs to be improved, and what parts of my writing they liked best. Believe me when I say I love all reviews, and it's really nice to know people appreciate my work. However, I'm a far cry from being perfect, and there's always room to improve. Also, if I can get better, I can give better fan fiction to my readers. Anyway, thanks again for reading this fan fiction and hopefully you seriously considered my request.


	9. Chapter 9

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of its characters.

It was the day of Eyes and Ayumu's first concert, a few hours before the concert was set to take place. The school day had ended, so as per usual, the three blade children plus Hiyono were hanging out. That day, they had opted to spend the afternoon relaxing at their favorite coffee shop. Like always, Ryoko and Kousuke were bickering, and Rio was speaking softly about how her day had gone, but Hiyono was abnormally silent. Although she was sitting oriented toward her girlfriend, her mind was not focused on either of the two current conversations, and her glazed-over gaze was directed at someone else.

"Hey Ryoko," Hiyono's voice cut through the normal chatter like a hot knife through butter, because it sounded so odd. "Do you mind talking for a minute, alone?" Confused but not unwilling, Ryoko nodded and stood up, walking to a nearby spot that was out of hearing range of anyone seated at the tables surrounding the coffee shop. Hiyono followed.

"What's up with her?" Kousuke asked in a whisper soon after the two girls had left the table.

"Hiyono-chan's been worried about something for the last couple of weeks," Rio answered, not bothering to keep her voice low. "And there's only one thing she doesn't talk to me about these days, because she feels like it's a sore spot for me. I think Hiyono-chan has been worried about Narumi-kun." Behind her, she heard a chair scoot out and saw someone walking away out of the corner of her eye, but she paid it no mind.

"I wonder why," he commented thoughtfully. All the response he got was a shrug of her shoulders.

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?" Ryoko asked once her friend had situated herself against a brick wall.

"Ayumu-kun's been distant lately, like there's something wrong," Hiyono started. "He was genuinely happy for me and Rio, so I know that's not his problem. And about a month ago, I noticed that you two have started to get closer as of late. So, I was wondering if you know what's been bothering him."

"Well, I do," Ryoko confessed. "He talked to me about it a while back, and it probably just started to hit him now. But, it was kind of understood that I wouldn't tell anyone else."

"Oh," Hiyono said quietly. "I suppose I shouldn't press you then. Do you think you could at least tell me if you think he's okay?"

"It's not a matter of being okay or not," the other girl sighed. She was silent for a moment before making a decision. Hiyono _had_ been Ayumu's close and trusted friend long before any of the blade children. "He's been feeling awkward, because shortly after he moved into Eyes's penthouse…"

Ryoko paused in the middle of her sentence, because Hiyono suddenly held up her hand in a halting motion. Grayish-brown eyes narrowed in concentration before her head whipped around, chestnut brown braids whirling around her like helicopter's blades. Confused yet oddly worried, Ryoko tried to relieve her own anxiety about the situation with a joke. "What? Are your spidey senses tingling?"

"No," Hiyono answered frowning, though not at the joke. "But my reporter senses are." With that said, her eyes narrowed further in a glare as she stalked toward a nearby planter. Before the high school journalist was even halfway there, a thirty-something-year-old man darted out from behind a rosebush, of all things, and raced away like he was aiming for the gold medal while being chased by a devil. Luckily for him, both girls were shocked, otherwise, he wouldn't have built up enough distance between them to get away.

Of course, this didn't stop Ryoko from trying to catch him. Unfortunately, when she came back, gasping for breath, an hour later, all the track star could report was that she lost him. As fast as she was, even she couldn't keep up with a car. Sighing in defeat, Hiyono only nodded in response. After all, it was mostly her fault this had happened. Taking her original seat, Ryoko asked, "What do we do now?"

"Nothing," Hiyono answered. "Nothing until tomorrow anyway. That's the soonest time the next issue of whatever publication he works for will come out. And there's no need to tell Ayumu tonight when he's already wound so tight."

"What about Eyes-kun?" Rio asked, sill worried about him even if she no longer loved him as she once had.

"He's better equipped to deal with something like this; he's been living in the spotlight for a long time, after all," Hiyono replied. "No, it's Ayumu-kun I'm most worried about. He's never had to deal with a media scandal and probably has no idea. He can't resolve something like this with logic and reasoning, because there's no logic here, only greed and selfishness and complete disregard for the effect such an article would have on Ayumu-kun's and Eyes-san's lives."

The next morning as Ayumu and Eyes were getting ready to leave the country, Hiyono was heading over to the newsstand closest to her house while scrolling through webpages on her phone. The only thing she could find was a headline and a few pictures, meaning the publisher of this particular article was out to make a killing on sales. And Hiyono had no doubt they would. After all, nothing sells quite like a scandal.

The newsstand was far more crowded than normal when Hiyono arrived and was, predictably, surrounded by females ranging in their teens to mid-thirties. Recognizing the now almost empty spot where _Ongaku no Naibu ni Ai_ was placed, the high school journalist forcefully pushed herself through the crowd and grabbed one of the few magazines left. She handed a 1000-yen bill to the stand owner, didn't bother with change, and left for school.

It wasn't until break time that Hiyono could sneak the Blade Children up to the roof, but she'd already had plenty of time to read the article multiple times by then. Obviously, the teachers weren't very happy about her reading a magazine in class, but something in those grayish brown orbs spoke untold horrors upon any who dared interrupt her. It also didn't hurt that she had black mail material on most, if not all, the teachers at school.

Anyway, as soon as the other three joined her on the roof, Hiyono gave the open magazine to Ryoko. It didn't take long for Ryoko to read the article, and when she was done, silent tears had started streaming down her face. Kousuke pulled her into his arms for comfort. Ryoko felt like this was all her fault for repeating, even though only partially, what Ayumu had told her in confidence. Hiyono thought the article was her fault for two reasons. She had asked about a private matter that Ayumu had obviously wanted kept secret, and she had done so in a public place. Bracing herself for the most probable outcome, Hiyono took careful pictures of the article with her cell phone and dialed Ayumu's cell number.

A few minutes after Hiyono had hung up, Ayumu's phone beeped, letting him know he had multiple messages. The first one that popped up was a picture of the headline _Eyes Rutherford's new partner: Is there more here than first meets the eye?_ and a byline that read _Kohei Oda (Special Interest Journalist)._ The following picture messages detailed a tabloid article that contained more pictures than text.

_Initial speculation of the duet world tour with Eyes Rutherford pointed to Kiyotaka Narumi as a possible participator in the tour, but the elder Narumi's hand is now disfigured. He can no longer play the piano. Therefore, one can logically conclude that Ayumu Narumi was the only ever possible partner for Rutherford on this tour. Yet, the receptionist at Tsukiomi High School has informed us that Rutherford personally came to the school and asked for a private word with Ayumu Narumi the day the tour was announced._

_And yesterday afternoon, confirmed close friend and confidant of Ayumu Narumi confirmed that he moved into Eyes Rutherford's penthouse quote, "a while back." That is why it is now believed that these two have been living together for the past two months and moved in together shortly after the duet world tour was announced. Additionally, kitchen staff from Tenkaichi Hotel have divulged that Rutherford has been ordering a good deal fewer room service meals since young Narumi has moved in._

_With no other compelling reason for the two to move in together, I have concluded that, at the very least, Ayumu Narumi is attempting to woo the internationally famous pianist. After all, it is often said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Only time will tell how successful this high school student has been in his efforts. In spite of this, I'm inclined to believe that Narumi's feelings aren't entirely one-sided._

_Why? The reason is simple. The maid who cleans Rutherford's penthouse, while extremely tight-lipped, eventually let slip out that, while there are two bedrooms in the penthouse, she has only ever needed to clean one. So, either the young Narumi is either an extreme neat freak, or he never sleeps in the spare bedroom. And since when have high school students ever been known to actually clean their room? It is much more likely that Rutherford and Narumi are living together in every sense of the word._

_What impact will this relationship have on Rutherford's carreer? Only his fans can decide._

Accompanying the article were pictures with Ayumu and Eyes: at the concert, entering the hotel together the night previous, leaning against the school building as they watched Hiyono terrify reporters, and pretty much of every other time they'd ever been outside together. Not sure of what else to do at this latest development, Ayumu just groaned in frustration. He could feel the professional pianist's questioning gaze, and without another word, Ayumu handed his phone to Eyes. While Eyes was reading the article, Ayumu was idly wondering whether he should be mad at Ryoko, and apparently Hiyono since she also believed herself to be at fault. However, he found that he wasn't feeling angry at all; it was more of an annoyed sense of resignation.

Honestly, he had been expecting something like this to happen sometime. Obviously, Ayumu had hoped that it wouldn't, but he wasn't so naïve as to truly believe that the media wouldn't come up with some scandal. However, he would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised that the writer of the article had managed to get into contact with so many people in such a short amount of time. Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. With an audible sigh, Ayumu rested his chin on the palm of his hand, waiting for the return of his phone so he could call Hiyono back.

After reading the article himself, Eyes decided to save time by forwarding the pictures to Hinami's and Kureno's cell phones rather than playing hot potato with Ayumu's. Then, Eyes handed the phone back to its owner and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Call Hiyono," Ayumu answered as he dialed the number he had memorized long ago.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Eyes said, tone becoming slightly cold as his ice blue eyes narrowed a bit. Even if it was only one tabloid article, it was still serious. In response, the younger male merely shrugged his shoulders as he began assuring a frantic Hiyono that no, he was not mad and yes, he still trusted both the girls. As this was happening, Kureno had finished reading the article and on his own phone, called the main office. Almost simultaneously, Kureno and Ayumu hung up with a sigh.

"Rutherford-kun," Kureno spoke up immediately, garnering everyone's attention. "Corporate isn't going to anything about this."

"Why?" the blade child asked, his eyes narrowing much further now.

"Because coupled with the reviews of how well last night's performance went," the manager informed in a matter of fact tone. "The sales for the remaining tickets to your other performances have skyrocketed, in every country not just Japan. They also took the liberty to inform me that this Kohei Oda sold the story to at least one magazine in every country you will be performing."

"Wonderful," Eyes replied sarcastically.

A/N: Hello again, and welcome to the end of another chapter. Number 9 this time. Next chapter will number in the double digits, exciting isn't it? As always, thank you for all the faves, reviews, and alerts. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

At the suggestion of a reviewer, I have slightly altered my writing style for this chapter. Let me tell you, it was not easy. If you noticed and didn't like it, tell me. If you noticed and did like it, tell me. If you noticed and didn't care, tell me. If you didn't notice at all, tell me. While I do wish to make the fic more enjoyable for readers, if this new way of writing chafes too much on my creative instincts, I might go back. I don't know right now. Anyway…

I love reviewers, but I do have a request. I would really love for someone to seriously critique my work. It doesn't have to stop at constructive criticism. I'd love for someone to really pick apart my work and tell me every little thing they hated, what needs to be improved, and what parts of my writing they liked best. Believe me when I say I love all reviews, and it's really nice to know people appreciate my work. However, I'm a far cry from being perfect, and there's always room to improve. Also, if I can get better, I can give better fan fiction to my readers. Anyway, thanks again for reading this fan fiction and hopefully you seriously considered my request.


	10. Chapter 10

A Confusing Spiral of Emotions

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of its characters.

"So, what are we, personally, going to do about this article?" Hinami asked, more than a little worried about what this would do to her career. True, it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help the thought. She was the one who had orchestrated the whole tour from start to finish, and the blue-haired producer wouldn't put it past Eyes to blame her for every negative aspect of the trip.

"As individuals, there is very little we can do," Ayumu stated bluntly. "Even if we wanted to do something, the article has already been published, apparently world wide. I say we take the same course of action your company and do nothing."

"And how is that going to help matters exactly?" Kureno wanted to know. "If we don't take action to stop the rumors about your supposed romantic relationship with Eyes, no one will. I think it's much better if we come up some sort of statement about the issue to present at the next press conference."

"That would only add fuel to the fire, so to speak," the brown-haired teen replied. "Human nature dictates that no matter what we say people are going to believe what they what. Confirming or denying the rumors will merely reinforce their belief in them. So our 'statement' as you put it, should only be 'no comment'. The rumors will die by themselves eventually, or the very least lose a lot of their appeal. Soon enough, some other, more interesting celebrity scandal will come along."

"But what about your image?" Hinami protested. "What will Eyes's fans think?"

"We'll find that out soon enough," Ayumu replied shrugging, and with that said, he got up to exit the plane. "Obviously, the immediate response has been somewhat positive since sales are skyrocketing. Some people will be disgusted. There will probably be some girls who think the supposed relationship between the two of us is really hot, and some people really won't care. Not that Eyes's good looks haven't helped his career, but if all he had was a pretty face, he wouldn't be nearly so popular. I'm sure that many of his fans care more about how good his music is than his sexual orientation."

"What are you going to do if at the end of the tour people are still convinced you're a couple?" Kureno asked. "Will you take responsibility?"

"Why should I take responsibility for something that isn't my fault?" Ayumu asked. "And if they believe we're a couple, they'll be just as capable of believing that we've broken up. When we get home, those people will naturally assume that Eyes and I have drifted apart after returning to our separate everyday lives."

"But still," Hinami seemed determined to continue her questioning. However, Ayumu was long since tired of this sort of tag-team thing the two had going on and just turned away, headed for the door. Since they couldn't avoid exiting the plane forever, Eyes and Kureno soon followed him. Although, Kureno made his displeasure known all the way off the plane and to the hotel by stomping childishly every time he took a step. The blue-haired woman continued standing there for several minutes before she, too, resigned herself to the necessity of getting off the plane.

Of course, their trip to the hotel couldn't be nearly so peaceful as the plane ride. As soon as they were passed customs, the group was mobbed by people. It was the first time Ayumu had been grateful for airport security, because their complimentary escorts were waiting for them outside in the car. Even after they got in the car, they were followed. It almost turned into a rather dangerous situation when one member of the paparazzi decided that taking pictures of tinted windows was more important than paying attention to the road. Luckily, his car had drifted into a light pole with a resounding crash; it was better than the multiple car accident alternative.

By the time they got to the hotel, the four of them just wanted to get settled into their respective hotel rooms and pretty much crash. After the room situations were figured out, that's basically what happened. Ayumu and Eyes had adjoining rooms on the seventh floor of the hotel, and Kureno and Hinami were in identical rooms just across the hall from the two performers.

A couple of days passed, and much to the annoyance of the three males, Hinami had devolved from a quivering ball of nerves to a restless, jittery glob of hysterical woman. Because ever since they arrived in Australia, Eyes and Ayumu had only been able to leave the hotel to conduct daily practices in the Sydney Opera House. Beyond that, they were stuck inside for their own safety and sanity.

Eyes's popularity coupled with the new intrigue surrounding the two pianists supposed relationship had people swarming around them the second they stepped outside. The security detail kept the fans and paparazzi at bay each time they walked from a building door to the awaiting car, but the determined ones zoomed after them in their own cars. Never once did they get a moment in peace. So, Eyes and Ayumu found themselves spending most their days lazing about the hotel room, usually bored. After all, there was only so much tv you could watch.

During this time, Eyes had been silently observing and thinking about the fall out caused by the first article. A couple had followed; most of them were entirely ridiculous and being ignored by most of his followers, but this was all just the beginning. And the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that Ayumu's plan wasn't going to work. Oh, the young brunette was right to assume that people would believe whatever the hell they wanted, but their not saying or doing anything seemed to add more fuel to the fire than an official statement would have.

It was the night before their next performance that the silver-haired blade child decided to bring it up. They were sitting on their respective beds as Ayumu flipped through the channels aimlessly before turning off the television with a sigh.

"Hinami's plan didn't backfire so much as explode in her face, huh?" the younger teen said, casting a glance in Eyes's direction. "She gave us boatloads of time to go sightseeing at each destination to make up for her first mistake only to have us stuck in the hotel for days on end. No wonder she's so nervous."

"Yes, she's made quite a few mistakes this time around," Eyes replied. "But believe it or not, she's generally very good at her job, so I won't fire her. But she will get a severe pay cut, and the stress she's currently undergoing is probably punishment enough for her to never do something without consulting me again. Gods know the agency trips over itself to keep me happy. Either way, she's not the person who should be nervous about their future."

"What are you talking about?" Ayumu asked, refocusing his attention on the blade child now.

"Your life after this tour is over," Eyes replied seriously.

"You mean going back to school and living with Kiyotaka and Madoka?" the chocolate-haired teen commented dryly with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not going to be that easy, Ayumu-kun," the silver-haired blade child said with a sigh. Ayumu didn't understand. The less attention he paid to the media, the more it would want to hound him and the more it would assume it could get away with. Even if the spikey-haired teenage detective's fame turned out to be only a passing phase, it would continue on for several months at the very least, and Eyes felt responsible to make Ayumu understand. More than that, he wanted to - so that Ayumu wouldn't be quite so hurt by it when the time came.

"The first article that appeared was only the beginning," Eyes continued on. "As proof of the last few days, there will be more. Some arguing for and against it's validity. Others condemning our supposed life-style choice. Most will twist the few facts until they are no more than exaggerated lies. And that will only be the beginning of what just the media will do. People you thought were your friends will betray you for thirty seconds in the spotlight. Privacy will not exist, and you _will_ be followed around nonstop by complete strangers. This isn't nearly so easy as you make it sound."

"I have lived through a hell of a lot worse than what you just described Eyes," Ayumu actually growled at his tour partner. It was happening again; emotions were welling up inside him at Eyes's words – emotions he didn't understand, emotions he wanted gone. "People have tried to kill me, kill my friends, and my sister. Others tried to blow me up multiple times, frame me for murder, and forced me into games that put my life on the line just to test me. You know this very well. I can handle a few harsh words, and having a few strangers following me around isn't exactly a new occurrence either. Besides, I'm not the star. I'm not you."

"It won't be just a few," Eyes replied with a fierce amount of certainty. "Harsh words will be just the tip of the iceberg, and even if the media tires of this scandal soon, it won't magically disappear from your life. It will follow you long after this tour is over. People enjoy scandals far more than you realize and can prepare for. The fact that you are and probably will continue to ignore them will just chase after you more."

"Eyes, I can handle it," Ayumu said. This conversation was getting dangerous, and he wanted it to stop. The emotions were swirling inside of him; they were going to spiral out of control if he didn't manage to squash them. Plus, the conversation was getting dangerously similar to the last one they'd been having in which Ayumu shouted at Eyes with no provocation. "Besides, I don't see you acting anymore welcoming to the press than I am."

"As much as I hate it, this is good for my career," Eyes responded calmly, beginning to wonder if they were even going to be able to work together after this. But he had to make Ayumu understand. "And I do give interviews, go on talk shows, have autograph signings, the works. Unlike you, I signed up for this knowing full well the consequences. You agreed to it kind of as a favor for me and mostly to escape from Kiyotaka's and Madoka's love nest for a few months."

"I said that I can handle it!" Ayumu was actually shouting now. He began pacing around the room in agitation. "And what does it matter to you if I can't? Why bother saying these things? What's been going on with you these past few months? WHY ARE YOU EVEN ACTING LIKE YOU CARE?"

"Because I do care about you." It was a single, simple statement, but the air in the room instantly changed. Eyes, who was planning to say more, fell silent then as he watched the angry expression on the chocolate-haired teen's face morphed into shock and then inched into realization.

"Oh," Ayumu said slowly as the cogs in his brain began to turn and finally make sense of everything he had been observing but not understanding. It really was just as Ryoko had said; he was horrible at reading and interpreting emotions, his own and others. Sure, he could analyze them in a logical sense, but beyond that, he was pretty lost. Not sure what else to say, he awkwardly responded, "That makes sense. Sorry for…"

Except, he wasn't sure what to apologize for. Not realizing that Eyes actually cared about his well-being? Being angry at him for acting like he cared? Shouting at him for it? Or the myriad of other things wrong in this situation caused by his misunderstanding?

"I get it," Eyes said as a small, gentle smile spread across his face, much to Ayumu's surprise. "So long as you finally realize that I do consider you a friend and someone I care about, it's fine."

"Thanks," Ayumu said, looking a bit rueful now. "So, you basically think that the media is going to eat me alive? Well, I guess I always knew I wouldn't be able to just go back to my normal life after this without some negative consequence like less privacy and a return of critics attacking my skill with a piano. I suppose I don't know the true extent of the effects it will have on my life or if I'll be able to handle it. The only thing I can do now is cross that bridge when I come to it. If such a time comes, will you help me through it?"

"Of course, Ayumu-kun," Eyes answered. "All you would have to do is ask. Do you still want to continue with your not saying anything plan even though it's only adding fuel to the fire?"

"Yeah," Ayumu said blushing a little bit. "It is a bit embarrassing to have people think I'm going out with you, but at this point, we're kind of stuck with that plan. If we were going to make a statement, it should have been the day of or day after we landed in Australia."

"You're right," Eyes commented, and silence fell in the room again. Only, it was comfortable this time. And as Ayumu turned the television back on, neither teen admitted to themselves or the other that they truly didn't mind if the whole world thought they were a couple.

A/N: Hey, y'all! Welcome to the end of Chapter 10 of A Confusing Spiral of Emotions. I'm really sorry it took me almost two years to update this fic, but life happened. Also, my inspiration comes in spurts for random stories. So, I basically write what I've got the ideas and driving motivations for. Despite the fact that I have literally no free time this semester, I've been making as much time to write fanfiction as I can. Thank you random friends and recent reviewers who want to read it.

And, hey, I've advertised myself in my KaiShin fanfictions, why not here too?

I will be going to North America's biggest anime convention this year of 2012 (also known as Anime Expo), and I will be there from Day 0 – Day 4. So, if any of you readers are going and wanted to, I don't know, meet me, that would be the place to do it. I have finally decided what to cosplay, so those details will be posted on my profile so that you can actually find me. Or you can PM me, that works to.

I'm just throwing it out there, because one of the things that inspires me most to keep writing is physically seeing the people who enjoy my writing. I met a few people there last year, and it was great.

And now for my usual asking for a critique:

I love reviewers, but I do have a request. I would really love for someone to seriously critique my work. It doesn't have to stop at constructive criticism. I'd love for someone to really pick apart my work and tell me every little thing they hated, what needs to be improved, and what parts of my writing they liked best. Believe me when I say I love all reviews, and it's really nice to know people appreciate my work. However, I'm a far cry from being perfect, and there's always room to improve. Also, if I can get better, I can give better fan fiction to my readers. Anyway, thanks again for reading this fan fiction and hopefully you seriously considered my request.


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